Intoxicated
by faded harmony
Summary: Because the best way to make new friends with your enemies is when you're brain-dead drunk, right? Leo/Reyna.


**Title**: Intoxicated

**Rating: **T (because I'm paranoid heh)

**Disclaimer**: Rick Riordan owns PJO&characters

**Pairing: **Leo/Reyna

**Summary**: Because the best way to make new friends with your enemies is when you're brain-dead drunk, right?

**A/N - **Started out because of a post by keepfeedingthebears on tumblr about how Leo would push away a girl kissing him and ask her if she's brain-dead drunk. It was too adorable to resist, so now here's a one-shot to go along with it. No idea where this came from other than that post, so yeah. It was just so adorable and heheeheh;asklskdf;sdkfsd I think I'm shipping Leo with things way too much now.  
*I deleted the first one because I was all paranoid with the funky problems I had with the tenses. I'm not even sure how that started so I'm making an effort to break that bad habit. So if this shows up in your updates again...Sorry? I just wanted to make sure you guys got my best work, not some random crap I threw together in five minutes.

Also I hope you enjoyed my Son of Sobek reference :D I thought that would be fun to add in. I can't wait for May! C: Enjoy~! :D

* * *

**Intoxicated**

* * *

Reyna was definitely not happy when the Greek ship arrived on Roman soil again, only because it's a reminder of how it blew up her camp the time before. This time it was in a sign of peace, but last time it was supposedly under 'peace' and that alone had almost caused another Civil war outbreak.

Okay, sure, the guy driving it was possessed, and the girl Jason was with (she has a bitter taste in her mouth when she thinks of the other girl) did some sort of exorcism on the crew, but still. She can hold her bitterness and plot her revenge.

"Great," Reyna muttered as Annabeth stepped down from the warship and walked over to greet her. It's even better that- oh joy!- Jason decided to pop a visit too! And Percy Jackson, all his infuriating values is here as well; she still owed him a chance to redeem himself in her good books after last times...ah, unfortunate mishap of blowing up her camp.

"Reyna," Annabeth greeted her with a hand out. "I'm glad we could come to an agreement."

"Annabeth," the Roman extended her hand out as well in welcome, but she was debating whether or not now would be a good time to fire a few cannons of her own at the Greek ship. She had a feeling the Greeks wouldn't pay too kindly of a joke to that, so she refrained herself.

"How long has it been?" Annabeth asked finally with a smile. "Three years? Four?"

Reyna cleared her throat. "Five."

"Oh." Annabeth narrowed her eyes. "I forgot- ah, yes, five. I wasn't counting the original meeting-"

"-Which I did not attend," Reyna finished tiredly. "Yes, I'm well aware."

Annabeth was trying to keep her friendly smile, but it slipped quickly. "I came as fast as I could when I heard the camp was under attack."

"Yes, and then you arrived three days later."

She shrugged apologetically. "Granted, I didn't get your message until this morning. It would have been faster to use an Iris Message, you know. That eagle came in during breakfast at my apartment- scared the living daylights out of Percy, by the way."

"Did it?" Reyna asked, almost smiling as she pictured the scene in her mind. "Good."

Annabeth's smile vanished as she took a look around the camp. The principia had completely collapsed, along with Reyna's villa (she was lucky to have been strolling through the Garden of Bacchus at the time), the town was in rubble (most of the legacies had evacuated thanks to Terminus' advanced warning), and New Rome was in absolute chaos.

"Uh." Annabeth seemed at a loss of words. "How-?"

"I don't know," Reyna told her irritably. "I was strolling through the gardens when I saw one of the legionnaires come running up to tell me that the camp was under attack. On my last year here too..."

Annabeth put her hand up to her forehead. "Oh my. This is going to take longer than I thought."

Reyna nodded. "It's one thing to take apart the camp and rebuild it, but the defenses are down, so we can't even start reconstruction. I was hoping you would be able to help."

Annabeth grimaced. "I can help organize the legions to start construction, but I'm afraid you'll need to find a new guardian. What happened to Terminus?"

"He quit. The disorganization caused his brain to implode." Reyna sighed, trying to not think of the old god ranting on how cluttered the city was, and finally vanished in an explosion of golden dust.

"I can get Terminus back," Percy heard the end of their conversation, his sword casually swung over his shoulder while he walked up to greet her. He held out his arm with the tattoo and she did the same.

"Jackson," she said.

"Reyna," he said respectfully. "Now which way did Terminus go?"

"Into the wind."

He shrugged. "Good enough for me. Skippy?"

Reyna's favorite horse came out of nowhere, and Percy jumped on the horse's back.

"Hey!" Reyna protested. "That's my horse!"

"Yes," Percy agreed. "I'm borrowing it. Thanks Reyna!" He flew off into the sky, probably to hunt down the old border god.

Reyna took a deep breath and counted to ten in her head before she let it out. "Okay. One problem resolved. About the city..."

"Mm," Annabeth said. "I'd love to stay, but I actually have to go back to Camp soon, along with the ship. We've been having some ah...complications with a nearby group. We're not sure if they're demigods or not, all I know is that one of them recognized Percy, and Percy wasn't happy about seeing them. He kept muttering 'stupid croc' and 'punched me right in the face.'"

"Sounds about typical," Reyna said.

"Yep." Annabeth nodded. "I have yet to draw the story from Percy, but about a week ago one of our campers ran into the other group. To say the least, I think both sides were quite surprised. Now they've been demanding to talk to 'the son of Sobek...'"

"Which is Percy," Reyna guessed.

Annabeth smiled wearily. "As usual. I'll be taking the ship back with me as defense. We don't know who they are or what they want...besides Percy, anyways. I'm leaving my best engineer to help repair your camp in the meantime."

"Hurrah." Reyna said without enthusiasm.

"Don't be like that, Reyna. He's the best back at our camp. He'll get the designs from me, and he'll go around repairing things. Don't worry about it."

"I'll try not to." Reyna promised, although they both knew that was a lie.

Annabeth waved her hand. "Percy will be back in a few hours with Terminus I bet. I'll get the ship started and be on my way."

"Travel safe," Reyna instructed her. "You're the only sane Greek I may be able to talk to."

Annabeth laughed for real this time. "Are you sure? Sometimes I question that any of us are sane. Ah, here he comes." She drew their attention to the ship where a boy was jumping from the side.

The guy petted the giant metal dragon masthead, which breathed fire in the sky sadly, and then clambered down. He landed on his back, which made Reyna wince. Great, an untrained 'professional' to help repair New Rome. Just what she needed.

He ran up the hill to join them, holding his knees and panting. He held up a finger to Annabeth, before he lifted his head- "All-" pant "-set to go."

"Thanks, Leo." Annabeth said.

Reyna glared at him. This was the infamous Leo Valdez, hm? The one who had blown up her city, caused the Romans to march in to take over the Greeks? He seemed to acknowledge this too, because he smile nervously and glanced between Annabeth and Reyna.

"So..uhm...no hard feelings about that minor damage to your city before, right?" He laughed with a slight edge to his voice like he was afraid. (He should be, Reyna thought smugly.) "I mean, I didn't know what was going on to begin with, so I, um, I'm really sorry about that, I didn't mean-"

"It's alright," Reyna said through tight lips. "No harm done, or at least none we couldn't fix."

He laughed a little louder, still very nervous. "Okay. Good."

Annabeth looked between the two of them, and then grabbed Leo by the shirt. "No blowing anything up this time, got it?" She kept him face to face.

He looked away, struggling to free to his arms from Annabeth's iron clad grasp. "Got it, Annabeth. Now get going, Chase! Otherwise the wizards are gonna go blow up our muggle camp."

Annabeth stepped back. "The ship's all set?"

"Set for sailing."

"Good work." She turned to Reyna. "We'll keep in touch," she promised. Reyna nodded. She turned back to Leo- "Please, try not to light the Romans on fire, okay?" There was a hint of pleading in her voice.

He saluted her, a tiny grin that wasn't as nervous as before grew on his face. "Got it."

"Reyna, try not to kill Leo while I'm gone," She said as she walked away. "Bye."

Reyna watched the daughter of Athena walk back up to the ship, climb aboard and yelled for Jason. Jason flew out of nowhere and landed in the crows nest, waving to Leo and Reyna as they took off.

They stood in absolute silence as the ship disappeared behind the horizon. Leo coughed awkwardly, playing with the sand between his feet. "So, uh, you're not going to kill me, right? I mean, I'm here to help you, so I'd appreciate no killing-"

"We'll see," Reyna smiled in amusement as she watched the entertainment; the Greek boy squirm about nervously. "No promises, though."

He looked even more scared and concerned at her comment. "Wonderful."

* * *

"Reyna! Reyna! Reyna!" Leo ran behind her after the meeting. "Reyna!"

She spun around, her purple cape catching in the wind and billowing behind her. "What?" She demanded, too annoyed to be bothered about any silly problems that morning.

He tried to catch his breath, holding his stomach with his hands. "About the principia and your villa, I was wondering if you had the designs for those, because I, uh, might have accidentally lost them when I set my desk on fire-"

"Ask Annabeth," Reyna huffed and started to walk away.

"Hey, wait up!" Leo ran after her and stood in her way, blocking her exit. She stepped to the side, and so did he. She backed up, and he pulled forward. She sighed. "What?"

"See, the thing is, those were my last copy from Annabeth, and she's really not in the mood-"

"Neither am I."

"Well it's your villa, so you can either give me the designs or live under a pole with a tarp under it." He snapped. "I'm trying to be nice, here. You think I wanted to spend the next six months rebuilding your camp while they need me back at my home? No, so you can try to help me, or I will walk away."

"Okay."

He blinked. "What?"

"Walk away. You're a coward, Leo Valdez." She got up in face, and he flinched back. "You've been here for almost a month, you know how it works here. You're just too cowardly to ask her because you don't want to find out what's been going on back at Camp."

Leo swallowed, but she kept going. It felt good to blow off steam at someone, especially after another meeting with Octavian. "You don't know if anyone has been killed, or if the camp has been destroyed. Face it, Valdez. There's a Greek camp, a Roman camp, and neither of those are for cowards. What are you, Leo? Are you a coward?" She was practically screaming at him now.

"I asked you a question." She ordered.

"Yes," he mumbled.

"What was that?"

"I'm a coward." He said a little louder. "And you're not telling me this because you're trying to prove anything, you just want to yell at me because it would feel good. I just wanted those designs, Reyna. I wasn't asking for a loan or a ride on your stupid pegasus."

He took a step back, neither of them breaking the dark glare between the two.

"I may be a coward," he said as he walked away. "But at least I know that. Who are you, Reyna?"

He looked away first, turned his back on her and stormed away.

Reyna said nothing, her eyes still burning into the retreating figure of Leo. He vanished behind a building, and she remained in her spot even when her two dogs came and found her late at night and tugged at her toga to bring her home.

She walked with them, them nipping at her heels playfully and growling at anyone who wandered too close. It was comforting around them.

Reyna went to the field where all the legions were staying, along with most of New Rome's tenants and herself. She had the tent to the right in the middle, so she made her way over to it.

Julia, finally in the legion, walked over with her equipment tied on too loose and her helmet sliding over her face. "Harry just came back from his post, he said there's no signs of anything from the mountain."

"Thank you, Julia." She could spare a smile for the little legionnaires. Julia scampered off to find her friends from the fifth (nowadays everyone wanted to be in the fifth, and it seemed to have lost that misfit charm from that), leaving Reyna with her dogs.

She pulled aside the straps in her tent and sat on her blankets, and stated at the fabricated walls until the legions turned off their lights and everyone went to sleep.

Reyna felt fabricated too. All the walls she had put up in all those years had a chink- like a chink in her armor- were finally starting to slip. They had to be, if a Greek could point that out.

Leo Valdez was a coward.

Reyna was a Roman. That was all she had.

"I know who I am," she grumbled as she turned over on her blanket and tried to close her eyes. "I know who I am and who I must be."

It sounded like a lie, even in her own ears.

* * *

The camp had been repaired, for the most part. Leo still worked on her villa, which she had put under her least important priority. The camp needed her, she could live without a house for a while. She mostly stayed in the principia anyways, doing paperwork and trying to keep up with her old standards. Get dressed in the morning, put on her toga, her armor, get her sword, feed Argentium and Aurum, then head to the principia and then the forum for meetings and demands from the legions.

It's a pattern, and it kept her safe.

One morning she stopped by her villa to see how things were going. She didn't see the infuriating Greek boy around, which was a surprise, so she decided to look around inside.

The doorway was half built, along with most of the walls, so she pushed it open and strolled inside.

Her foyer was stilll there, for the most part, with the old design still intact. She took a turn and found that Annabeth's designs had called for a kitchen- completely new with all special appliances- and past the kitchen sat a little living room, tape marked on the floor where it looked like a couch would go; along with a little marker for a television, and markings for entrances and windows.

She followed one into a small private room next to the living room, with markers for a desk and another couch.

She made it to her bedroom across the hall, a marker for a large bed and lots of open windows. There will probably be lots of plants outside when it was finished, so she didn't question it.

Inside, past the living room, there's a deep cut in the floor for what looked like a fountain and a tiny pool, and finally the entrance that connected to the bridge that conjoined the two villas.

Reyna sighed, smelling the dusty air. It was quiet (something she hasn't been able to have in a while) and peaceful here. She imagined what her villa would look like when the construction is all finished, and a house all to herself.

"Like it?" Someone called from behind her, and she turned around. Leo was leaning on the wall, his arms crossed and scanning the room. "Annabeth went all out with the design. She had a little too much fun if you ask me," he tapped his knuckles on the wall. "Still got a roof to do before I can start doing the interior. What do you think so far?"

"I think Annabeth's a genius," Reyna said. "And that she assigned a very annoying hard worker to build my villa."

Leo blinked. "I think that's a compliment, so thank you."

Reyna said nothing else, so Leo walked over and sat down on the bench between the floor and cut out from the fountain. "So, work's been stressful?"

"You have no idea."

Leo smirked, patting the seat next to him. "Maybe I do."

"I doubt that." She took a seat, but she sat across from him. Reyna didn't want to sit next to him, nor did she have a reason to.

"Well, once upon a time, I had less than a year to build an entire war ship so I could go fight the most evil goddess of all time across the globe, so yes. I do know stress."

Reyna held in the instinct to roll her eyes at him. Yes, she'd heard that story before, no need to be reminded. "That stress didn't last like mine is. Also, there were six other people to help carry the weight. I am the only one carrying it right now."

"Oh, come on. That new guy- David or whatever- he's a pretty fair praetor. He's better than Octavian, at least."

She shuddered at the thought of having to share the position with Octavian. All these years had passed, and he was no different; as sly and as eager to take her position as he used to be. She didn't even know why he wanted it now; he was too old and no longer part of the legion. He couldn't be elected anyways.

"Sometimes I think you want to carry all the weight of the camp because it's the only thing tying you here," Leo said.

"That's an interesting thought," Reyna looked at the floor.

He leaned in closer, and dropped his voice to a whisper. "A long time ago, you accused me of being a coward. And I accept that. But you know what I think, Reyna? I think you're the real coward, and you're too scared to admit it."

* * *

Another thing Reyna hated besides annoying Greeks, random attacks on Camp Jupiter, and the occasional late demigod to muster, is the Roman celebrations.

They were celebrating another year of peace between Greeks and Romans (she laughed at this, the least they have is no constant fighting, not enough to be called 'peace') and New Rome is fully encased in lights and streamers. Lanterns hung from the sides of windows and off arches, giving the entire city a sort of fiery glow that bounces off the street pavement and feels light and happy. Even her villa was decorated; the lights hanging off the windows and the fountain glowing radiantly in the water.

She saw Annabeth and Percy wandering the streets hand-in-hand, walking together. She can say that she's happy to see them together, after all they've been through, so they deserve some peace. They might be the only ones that do.

Reyna is pretty sure she saw Jason carry Piper up to one of the rooftops to be alone (and she tried to ignore that heavy feeling in her chest when she thinks about it.)

So while everyone else is enjoying the celebrations, the drinks and the lights and the company of those they love, Reyna was left to wander the streets alone with her hands behind her back and stare pointedly at each cobblestone she passed.

Her footsteps made small clicks when she stepped down the stairs, her cape still billowing behind her like a sail that wanted to catch the breeze and stay in it, be taken far away from here.

"He-" Someone hiccuped down one of the rebuilt alleys. "-llo."

"Hello?" Reyna called out in response."

The person hiccuped again. "Oh look, all mighty praetor out on the town. Good, good." They hiccuped again, sending an echo towards her. Reyna frowned, tucked in her cape and followed the noise.

A bottle of what looked like wine rolled out from the shadows, and dry laughter followed. "Wine, wine, everywhere, not a drop to drink." A dark chuckle.

"Who's there?" Reyna stepped into the shadow and the face was illuminated for her by a bright fire.

Leo sat crouched behind the building, holding a half-empty bottle of beer in his hands and holding his fingers alight so she could see his face.

"Why hello," he said dryly, giving an unnecessary flick of his wrist to twirl the bottle around in his hands. "It's surprising the people you can meet in a dark alley while drunk."

"What are you doing, Valdez?" She tried to mask her surprise with orders.

He laughed again, humorless mirth. "I'm getting drunk off my ass, what does it look like?"

"I can see that," she frowned deeply. "Let me rephrase my previous question; Why are you getting drunk in the middle of a dark alleyway during celebratory weekend?"

He hiccuped and took another sip from his bottle, the fire light in his hands flickering in his dark eyes. "For the same reason you don't want to be out there celebrating. I ain't got noth-" he hiccuped mid-sentence and didn't finish his thought.

Reyna sighed. "I don't want to be responsible for you," she said.

"Good, then go away and leave me to be drunk in peace."

"...but, I have a duty to my city, and that includes drunk-ass idiots loitering around," she furrowed her eyes at him. "So I'm going to tell you now; Get up, put that down, and go to sleep."

Leo took another deep drink before putting it down and lazily flicking his fingers off his pants. "You and me both, Reyna, know that's not going to happen."

"And why isn't it?"

"Well, for one, I'm too drunk to give a damn about anything you say, and two-" his flames reached the top of his hair and caught fire. "-two, I can't feel my legs."

"I don't have time for this," Reyna snapped. "Why am I even here?"

"Good question, why are you here?" Leo mumbled into the top of the glass. "Go away."

Reyna finally snapped her calm and ordering tone; "You know, I think all that alcohol in your system is gonna make your entire body burst into flames. You should go jump in the river."

Leo stared at her in shock. Then he started laughing, real laughter, and he leaned back and kept laughing. His chuckles bounced off the floor and walls like the light, rebounding and hitting her in the chest.

"You know, when you're mad you are actually pretty funny," he pretended to wipe a tear from his eyes. "Oh gods, I must be drunk off my rocker if I find the almighty Roman praetor funny from a stupid joke," he choked a little. "It's only a matter of time."

Reyna took a deep breath and sat down next to him. He smelled of gasoline and alcohol- two things that should definitely not be in one contained area- and his eyes were still dancing with light and half-lidded eyes that gave her the assumption he would pass out any minute.

"Go away," Leo groaned at her. "I want to be alone."

"As much as I'd like to, you're a little unstable at the moment. I'd rather not wake up tomorrow morning and find my city in flames."

He waved his hand and the fire went out, and he huffed "Fine, fine! Do whatever, I'm not in the mood for talking."

"Good."

"Fine."

"Excellent."

"Marvelous."

"Bien."

He paused. "Okay, I've run out of words. Let's play a new game."

"This isn't a game."

"Then let's make a game." Even his breath smells like alcohol. She suddenly had a bad mental image if he tried to breathe fire- that was a story she heard all the time from their trip to Greece- and if he breathed fire, he'd most likely combust and blow up a quarter mile of city. She shuddered.

"I say-" his words slurred together. He frowned, trying to regain his thoughts. "I say we play...we play a new game." He lurched forward and on instinct Reyna put her arms out to stop him. He stopped falling forward and leaned back again, scowling. "I say we play a game of questions," he said and then smiled, already forgotten about his face-dive into the dirt.

"Great Bellona," Reyna muttered under her breath.

"Let's-" Leo blinked a few times before he focused on her. "Let's play that game, yeah, with questions. You- you ask first."

"Okay," Reyna rolled her eyes. This is stupid, she thought in her head. "What's your favorite color?"

He looked at her for a minute before speaking; "Brown...yeah, it's brown." He waved his hands around, and started smiling. "Brown, pretty brown, not like animal caca. Brown like..." He looked down at the ground, and then back at her. "Like...pretty brown, Like your eyes."

Reyna pursed her lips.

"Okay, now...now it's my turn." Leo took another sip of his drink and tapped his fingers nervously on his legs. "What...what is your favorite song?"

She frowned. "I don't know, I don't listen to many."

He sighed dramatically. "Honestly, no songs? You're no fun."

"I know."

Leo threw the bottle of beer against the opposite wall and watched it shatter. Then he tossed a small flame after it and watched it burn, the alcohol igniting as quickly as lightning and then fading out. Reyna watched with awe.

"Next question," he hiccuped.

"How many drinks have you had?" Reyna tried for something not as personal.

He scowled and counted on his fingers, then looked up at the sky and said "I lost count after four, I think."

She swore quietly. "Wonderful. You're even more drunk than I thought."

"My turn," Leo adjusted himself so he wasn't slumping down the wall. "Why do you stay at Camp Jupiter if you don't like it here?"

"Because it's my home." She answered simply, and he nodded.

"Your turn," he said.

"Why did you get drunk?"

He looked away. "I don't have a reason to celebrate, and I don't want to see people celebrating."

"I agree." Leo met her eyes, the empty hollowness had replaced his earlier humor and happiness.

"Why are you scared?" He asked.

"I don't know," she admitted. "I don't know, and I'm scared of what I don't know."

He grunted.

"Why aren't you celebrating?" Reyna's turn.

"I can't celebrate."

"Why?"

"Not your turn now," he yawned a little and the yawn extended into the question- "Why are you afraid of love?"

"Excuse me?"

"Don't lie, I know how you look at Jason." He set his eyes on the broken glass bottle across the alley. "And how you envy Piper. I'm happy for them, how they found love, like I wish I could've. I'm just the background, they're the actors on set."

"Sometimes it's not so bad to be in the background," Reyna said. "In the background you aren't the target, you're less likely to get hurt."

He gave her a small, sad, and sympathetic smile. "But if you never get hurt, you'll never get a chance to live."

"Point taken. You know, you're surprisingly philosophical when you're drunk."

"Screw philosophy," Leo said. "Screw logic, screw everything that makes sense. I just want the world to turn over and I can sleep underground."

"That's implying you want to be dead."

"Maybe I do." He didn't meet her eyes that time. "Who's turn is it now?"

"Mine."

"Okay, why are you still here?"

"No idea. Maybe we should debate it."

"Haha." He crinkled his nose as if he smelled something sour. "You aren't funny."

"I know."

He looked at his hands, and then back at her, the stars in his eyes light again. "Who's turn is it now?"

"I don't think it matters."

"Then you ask a question."

"Alrighty then. Er..." she tried to think of a good question. "What is one thing you regret?"

He chuckled darkly. "There's a long list."

"Think of one, then."

"Oh, it's not hard to think of just one." He glared at the other wall as if his stare alone could burn a hole through the building. "There was the time I was possessed and blew up your city and almost started the second civil war, that was one. And then there was the time I opened a stupid fortune cookie and got Percy and Annabeth thrown into Tartarus. All my fault. Stupid, stupid, stupid." He sniffled, and Reyna realized he had assumed the point where he was so drunk he was crying.

"There's also the time when I was eight, and didn't know about my powers." He sucked in a breath. "Gaea decided to pay me a visit behind my mother's workshop. I...I wanted to protect her. My hands caught fire...and...she died. All because of me." A few feet away, the broken bottle of wine caught fire again and the light reflected off the tears at the edges of his eyes. He wiped them away, still sniffling. "I swore I'd get revenge. And now that I did, I feel even worse about it."

Reyna's voice had been muted into a silent mode. Even if she had been able to speak, she wouldn't have known what to say.

He glared at her under dark eyes, the angry fire in them sparking once more. "Don't look at me like that! I don't want your pity. I've lived most of my life accepting the fact that I'm a waste of space, and I don't want anyone suddenly feeling sorry for the little boy who lost his mama." He rubbed his nose and hiccuped. "I don't want to play this game anymore."

It might not be for him, but a little bit of her heart felt heavy now. She never should have stayed, and now she's carrying his story too. It doesn't bring comfort to either of them; it brings sorrow to him as well.

Reyna doesn't want to, but he leaned over and pulled her into a hug, his head resting on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, you shouldn't see my like this."

The smell of alcohol burned in her nose. "It's okay."

"Stay with me?" He's like a child, scared, and lonely, and Reyna doesn't see Leo Valdez, hero of the prophecy anymore. She only saw a little boy, still lost and confused without his mother and an unsure fate hanging above his head.

"Alright," Reyna said.

"I don't like this game." He said.

"It's okay," she said (even though it's not, and she knows it's not okay for him either) "I don't like this game either."

* * *

The next few weeks were awkward. Leo didn't meet her eyes when they walk, or when he speaks to her. He seemed embarrassed by his slip in behavior, and in front of one her- of the most notable people in New Rome. She was not sure she could meet his eyes either; she was afraid that his eyes would show the darkness he held in his heart.

"Hello," Leo greeted her with a thick voice in the morning. Occasionally, on days he didn't get good sleep, his accent would slip more southern, with more Spanish leaking into his conversation. "Who- I mean, what's-" He yawned into the word. "-going on?"

She didn't want to call him up, but Aurum is all ditzy and driving Argentium nuts, so she figured that the poor dog is suffering some sort of mechanical problem.

"My dog isn't working right." she said. "I was hoping you could take a look at him."

He looked up, meeting her eyes for the first time since she caught him drunk in the alley. "I'll see what I can do."

"Great. I have a meeting in the principia with the recent centurions. Good luck," she told him and walked out.

In reality, she didn't have any meetings scheduled for the day at all. Reyna needed to visit the town and get some hot chocolate. Hot chocolate sounded nice, so she headed for the city.

* * *

"Short meeting, I take it." Leo sat in the booth next to her, startling her into almost spilling her chocolate.

Reyna jumped. "You almost made me spill my drink," she scolded.

"I take it you just wanted to get away from me, eh, Reyna?" He smirked, but there's sadness in the twinge of his smile. "I'm like fungus, you can't get rid of me that easily."

"Well, a few pesticides and acid could send you off, but that's not worth my effort." She sipped more of her hot chocolate, blowing off the steam from the lid.

He looked hungrily at the rows of cookies and the different candies lined up on the racks in the bakery. "Recommend anything for lunch, perhaps?"

"Mmm," Reyna said into her chocolate. "Not anything while I'm around, I'll probably poison it." She tried to smile, but it's a little painful when he doesn't return it. He's still staring at her face like a blueprint, trying to figure out of her design and memorize it.

She looked back at her chocolate, the little white swirls and the marshmallows all huddled in the corner like penguins hiding to find warmth. Reyna poked one of them with the tip of her finger, and the little white dot sunk into the brown drink and vanished.

Leo seated himself closer to Reyna, but it was Reyna this time who whispered to him; "Maybe you're right, Leo Valdez. I may be the real coward here, but it doesn't mean I have to show it."

* * *

Leo's hands were shoved in his pockets as he wandered down the city of New Rome. The citizens of New Rome were celebrating again, but this time for a different reason. Their favorite and most celebrated praetor will be retiring next week, so in honor they set up an entire week of festivities. Yipee. And he gets to stay in on all the fun.

Along the way he ran into Annabeth (who looked like she had just come out of sucking face with Percy), searching the crowd for someone.

"Looking for Percy?" Leo was leaned up against the wall, sending glares in the direction of the drinks that passed him. He restricted himself from alcohol after his last incident.

Annabeth pushed her way throught the crowd so they didn't have to yell over the guests. "No," she panted, her eyes wild. "I'm actually looking for Reyna. I haven't seen her since the party started, and I'm worried."

Leo hung his head. "I'll go look for her, you don't worry. Go hang with Percy, or whatever."

She gave him a grateful smile before she vanished back into the dancing crowd. "Thanks, Valdez."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." He muttered and kept his hands in his pockets as he started walking away. He kicked a few stones up the alleys while he walked, whistling a random tune in his head and looking at the glowing city lights.

At Reyna's villa, he paused. The lights in the house were off, but it didn't mean he couldn't stop inside, right?

His heart beat faster than usual when he came to her door, and before he could knock, it swung open with the breeze. Leo raised an eyebrow and walked inside, shutting the door tightly before wandering through the house.

"'Ello?" He called into the empty darkness.

"Go away," Someone hiccuped from Reyna's room, so Leo headed in that direction.

Reyna was sitting on her bed, staring up at the ceiling with a bottle of Roman wine in her hands. Her eyes weren't glassy and demanding like they usually are, but they looked happier and more at peace. She was also smiling, so he said;

"You're drunk."

She snorted. "Why thank you for noticing."

"Yeah, but why?"

She sat up, almost falling over, and hiccuped into a giggle. "The same reason I found you dead drunk in the alley last time. I don't have a reason to celebrate."

"I can think of a reason." Leo leaned on the bed awkwardly, unsure if he should sit next to her or leave. "You're free of duties. You get to go to college."

She hiccuped again. "College is stupid. I don't want to go back to school. I don't need to learn anything else that I haven't learned already."

"Eh...that's what they all say. Percy didn't want to go to college, now he's at NYU trying to get a degree in something marine biology. You'll change your mind."

"I don't want to stay here, then."

"Run away," Leo suggested. "I've done it loads of times."

"It's not as simple as that," she rolled over and almost fell off her bed. Leo put his arms out to stop her, but she flinched away from him and turned away, facing the other wall. "And I don't want anyone to see me like this. Go away."

"Sorry, your highness, I have to stay this one time."

This must have interested her, because she rolled back over. "And why would that be?"

"You stayed with me last time, so I stay this time. It's only fair." He grinned, sitting on the bed and causing it to indent where he placed his weight.

She groaned. "Ugh, this is already a horrible night for me, now it's even worse."

He put a hand over his heart. "You offend me, if you wanted me to go you should have just said so!"

"Go away!"

"Oh, you don't mean that. You want me to stay," he wiggled his eyebrows at her and she rolled her eyes.

"Then let's play a game," she said, casually drinking more wine. "Got any Monopoly?"

"Sadly, no." Leo looked around her room. "Well, last time I got to tell you the heart wrenching and depressing tale of Leo Valdez' failure life, I think you return the favor."

Reyna shrugged. "Okay."

Leo raised both eyebrows. "Really? Just like that? Wow, you're a lot more agreeable when you're drunk. You should try that more often."

"And you're less annoying when you're drunk, maybe you should try it more often." Reyna snapped back.

"Woah, okay, okay, calm down." Leo put out his hands in surrender. "No need to kill me right now."

"I'm thinking about it."

"Sheesh, okay, touchy. Now about that story..."

Reyna sighed and took another long drink before she put it down. Her eyes shined in the darkness against the bright glow of the Roman lights outside.

"Well, me and my sister grew up on an island." She started the story, her eyes still shining in the dark. "I don't even remember how we got there, or why, but we were trained by Circe on that island. You wouldn't have recognized me then, all covered in makeup and my hair done."

Leo snorted. "Reyna and makeup. Never would have guessed."

She glared at him, so he coughed to acknowledge he was listening again. "Anyways, one year a boy and a girl landed on our island. Circe had a talent of turning boys into guinea pigs and locked in cages, but the girl stepped in and freed her friend. I think you can guess who that was."

Leo tried to think. He'd never heard this story before, but it wasn't hard. "Percy?"

She took another sip. "Yep. Him and Annabeth also let loose the pirates- and they took me and my sister Hylla captive on their ship for almost a year. It's not fun to be around pirates, you know." Reyna frowned and glared at the empty bottle. "I will spare you the details."

"Aw, it can't be that bad," Leo tried to lighten the depressing sour face she had put on. "I mean, like yo-ho-ho and a jolly o'le ship! What do'ya do with a drunken sailor, what do'ya do with a drunken sailor, earl-y in the m-o-rnin'!"

Reyna put down the bottle of wine and looked at him. "That's not what I meant, Leo."

"Then what-"

"Pirates are known more for their looting," she said. "And what they did with their female captives."

Leo stared at her a while before it clicked. Then he pursed his lips and looked down. "I take it you don't trust guys as much, after that."

"Not for a while," Reyna hiccuped. "Then I met Jason and...and everything about him seemed different, and I thought maybe-"

"But then he left," Leo said in a quiet voice. "And it just reminded you how nobody can be trusted."

She shrugged. "I'm a coward to not admit it."

"No, Reyna, you're not a coward." Leo said. "I just said that because I was angry. You just- I don't know. You're so strong and confident and beautiful, and that's what the camp needed. That's what we all needed."

Reyna looked at his eyes, and he's almost positive he saw a ghost of a smile grace along her lips before it blew away like wind. "Thank you."

Leo smiled. "You're welcome, my drunken majesty."

Before he knew it, somehow her lips are on his and -yes, it feels amazing- and not to mention the fact her lips smelled like alcohol and sugar (jellybeans maybe?), but he popped his eyes out with shock and pushed her away.

"Woah, okay, I'm not really a touchy-feely kinda guy, this just got a little more involved than I wanted to." Leo put his hands up and backed away a little. "And you're drunk. Nope, nope. You're going to regret this when you wake up tomorrow."

"Maybe I won't," her arms started to shake. "Stay with me, please."

Leo got off the bed and started to walk away, but she called again; "Please, Leo." She pleaded with him, and he turned back to look at her. "Please. I can't be alone tonight."

Leo sighed. "Alright," and she crawled to the other side of the bed and let him sit there. In the glow of the Roman lights, the darkness in her room and the pungent smell of alcohol, Leo closed his eyes and drifted off into sleep.

* * *

She woke up with a splitting headache. Reyna groaned internally, her thoughts all scattered and cluttered and she couldn't find the energy to bring them together to form coherent sentences. So she rolled over and breathed deeply.

It smelled like alcohol, which she assumed was normal because last night was so fuzzy, but it also smelled faintly of...was that motor oil?

She opened her eyes and the light entered in rapidly, causing her to groan out loud. Her hands tightened around fabric that wasn't her sheets or her own clothes, so she squinted and tried to figure out some logical explanation.

"'Mornin', your majesty," Leo's voice was still thick with sleep, and even more accented than usual. "I'm guessing you're all hungover, I wouldn't advise getting up right now."

Reyna sat up too quickly and the room spun, so she put her hands to her head and closed her eyes. She counted to ten, but the headache didn't stop.

Leo's face was smashed into her pillow, breathing slowly and trying to catch a few last minutes of sleep. His toolbelt was hanging off the chair in her room, and Reyna closed her fists.

"What-" her voice came out all croaky and disgusting. She flinched. "What- what happened?"

"You got really drunk," Leo informed her through a muffled pillow. "And asked me to stay."

"Did- did we-?"

He sat up alarmed. "Reyna! A gentleman like me would never take advantage of a lady like that!"

"I had to ask," she collected herself and tried to stand, but her legs sank back into the bed. "Did...did anything else happen?"

Leo frowned. "Uh...no."

"Then I guess I shou-"

At that moment, the other recently elected praetor, David, burst into her room. "Reyna, we have a senate meeting in ten minutes! Where are you-?" And he saw her and Leo sitting on the bed.

David turned bright red, glancing quickly between her and Leo. He was only fifteen, another record for young praetors, and he looked horrified. He looked down at his feet, and said "Uhm, on second thought, I'll just say you're sick."

"Good," Reyna fell back into her pillow. "I'm not quite right at the moment."

"She's hungover," Leo offered for further explanation. "I would cancel all her meetings for the day, actually."

Reyna groaned, but didn't sit back up. "No, Leo, don't tell them to-"

"No, no, I think it's better," David backed up quickly and walked into the edge of her door. "I mean, I wouldn't want- I mean to explain to the- Uhm I don't-" he stammered and ran out.

Leo rolled his eyes and sighed. "That could have been worded better."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Reyna groaned as Leo rubbed circles comfortingly into her back.

* * *

She was totally pissed. The aura of anger surrounding her lasted throughout the day, and most legionnaires found it wise to avoid her at all times. Even David, her fellow praetor, didn't make an argument with her.

That night she went to enjoy her last day of celebrations before muster the next day, when she would be discharged with honor from the legion.

Reyna was pissed because somehow word had slipped out she had spent the night with a Greek boy. Yes, she had been drunk and wanted some company, but it didn't mean anything, did it?

At the celebrations, she saw other legions congratulating her and wishing her well in life, honor, etc, long live the war, etc.

She wasn't looking for congratulations, she was looking for Leo Valdez.

She found him near one of the fountains near the dark shadows, trying to be unnoticed. He had a glass of blue kool aid it looked like, either from Dakota or Percy. He was watching the dancers and the party-goers with a deep frown etched in his face and spinning the drink in his hand.

Reyna marched over to him, holding her own drink. It was red (more of Dakota's kool aid, he would be discharged with her tomorrow during muster so he was out celebrating too), and tasted too sugary and sweet, but she kept it in her hand.

Leo saw her coming and flashed her a small grin. "Enjoying your party, your majesty?"

She sighed and came to a stop. "Not really."

He wiggled his eyebrows. "Have you been hearing the scandalous rumors around camp? Apparently the most beautiful and endearing Roman praetor has been sleeping with the dishonorable Greek repair boy! The horror!" He waved his arms around dramatically. "Gasp!"

Reyna snorted. "They're just rumors."

"They don't have to be," he winked at her and she punched him in the stomach as a not-so-friendly joke. He groaned and lurched over, before popping back up and still smiling. "That was a joke, your majesty."

"I know."

His frown slowly faded away as he watched the couples dancing in the crowd. "Did...did you ever remember anything from the night you were drunk?"

Reyna suddenly sparked interest in her shoes. "Yes."

"What did you remember?" He tried to smile, but she could see that he's a little scared to know what she remembered. Scared? Scared of what?

"I remember I kissed you," Reyna recalled.

"Oh" was the only thing he said.

"I didn't say it was bad."

"Then what was it?"

She met his eyes. "I don't know."

"Then why-"

She's not sure how, but they're kissing again. Leo panicked and backed into the wall, pushing her away again.

His hair completely caught fire, and his face turned bright red. "I- uh, Reyna, you're drunk again, and as much as I enjoyed that, I don't think you'd really like to be kissing me-"

"Leo, I'm not drunk."

"-but I mean, you can't really be responsible for your actions right? That was an accident, you're really drunk an-and I don't-"

"Leo, this is kool aid. Not alcohol."

He stopped, staring at her with his hair still steaming. He gave her a dark look like are you serious with me right now and stared at the ground. "Uhm...then why the sudden interest in me?"

"Not really sure about that either," Reyna stepped closer to him, and this time he didn't retreat. "Maybe it's because you're a good listener. And you didn't run away from me when you knew the truth."

Leo huffed and smiled at her, the little dimples on his cheeks returning. "I don't think that makes me a coward, you know."

"No it does not," Reyna agreed.

"And you just kissed me, without being intoxicated by alcohol." Leo stated as if that fact blew his mind.

"Yes I did," Reyna nodded.

"Maybe neither of us are cowards," Leo said. "I think we were just waiting for the right person."

"Definitely," Reyna agreed.

"Now about that kissing thing..." He started a smirk that grew on his lips. "I think we should try that again."

Reyna tried to bite back her smile, but she found it was okay to smile in front of him. She would be retiring from the legion tomorrow, and she suddenly felt very light, all the weight being lifted from her shoulders.

(She wasn't as alone as she thought.)

Leo slipped his hand into hers.

(Now there's two to carry the weight.)

"We could make this work," he said.

"I definitely think we can," she said and leaned in for another kiss.


End file.
